Eric Mutai Impeached: Kericho MCAs Vote to Remove Governor in Chaotic Session
- Thirty-three out of 47 ward representatives in Kericho voted on Friday evening, August 15, to impeach Governor Erick Mutai
- The county boss's impeachment was tabled on August 6, with the MCAs accusing him of alleged abuse of office and
- The special motion was deliberated on for the better part of Friday, with Mutai taking to the stand in the plenary to challenge the motion with the help of his defence team
Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Kericho governor Erick Mutai has yet again been impeached after more than eight hours of a special motion on Friday, August 15.
Source: Twitter
The motion was sponsored by the Sigowet ward representative, Kiprotich Rogony, who accused the governor of, among other things, alleged abuse of office, violation of the constitution, and procurement procedures.
Why Kericho governor was impeached
He was also accused of making skewed and nepotistic appointments, engaging in illegal dismissals and transfers, and usurping the constitutional and statutory functions of public organs.
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The governor was further accused of harassing and vilifying junior staff who did not conform to his opinions.
Speaker Patrick Mutai called the vote later in the evening, as per Standing Order 77, with members casting their votes electronically.
The vote progress was projected on a screen, but did not indicate the opposers and abstentions.
The voting went on for less than ten minutes, after which the speaker declared the impeachment to have succeeded and immediately adjourned the day's session.
This was after 33 members voted to send the governor home, with 18 standing with the county boss.
It was at that moment that a fight erupted between the proponents of the motion and the supporters of the governor on the floor.
How Kericho MCAs faced off with each other
Those in favour of the impeachment ululated with double-fist salutes as the governor's supporters waved in disapproval.
The MCAs, mainly males, started pushing each other as they went for their opponents' ties and shirts, ready for a fistfight as the camera lenses rolled.
One MCA was injured and rushed to Siloam Hospital.
How Governor Mutai reacted to his impeachment
Speaking at the hospital, Mutai went after the County Assembly Speaker, whom he accused of misusing his position to trouble his political detractors.
He alleged the speaker targets the position by equally impeaching the deputy governor who would take over.
"Patrick Mutai wants to impeach the governor, and soon the deputy speaker comes in; he impeaches him and remains as governor, being the speaker," the governor said.
The resolution by the County Assembly will now be transmitted to the Senate, which will decide the governor's fate either through a plenary session or a special committee.
This would be his second return to the upper legislative house in Nairobi.
How Kericho governor survived impeachment
Last October, Mutai successfully overcame an impeachment attempt in the Senate.
A majority of 34 senators voted against the motion, challenging the legitimacy of the threshold used by the Kericho County Assembly to impeach him.
Only 10 senators supported the motion after Speaker Amason Kingi directed the Senate to vote on a preliminary objection regarding whether the assembly had met the required two-thirds majority.
Kingi stated that the results of the vote effectively ended the impeachment proceedings against Mutai.
Source: Twitter
His legal representative, Katwa Kigen, had previously contended that only 31 members of the County Assembly supported the impeachment, falling short of the necessary 32 votes.
What saved Governor Mutai from impeachment?
Kigen maintained that two-thirds of the 47 MCAs equals 31.3, which should have been rounded up to 32, not down to 31.
In the 2024 motion, the governor was ousted in a tense County Assembly session that lasted over four hours, during which ward representatives scrutinised his conduct.
The impeachment was based on accusations of serious constitutional breaches, misconduct, and misuse of office.
Additional claims included harassment and intimidation of junior staff who disagreed with him.
Interestingly, the mover of this year's motion, MCA rogony, also sponsored last year's.
Mutai also faced allegations of unlawfully seizing private land and converting it into a dumpsite without the owner's approval.
Despite a court order obtained by the governor to halt the process, the motion's supporters proceeded with the impeachment.
Prior to the vote, Mutai appealed to the MCAs for forgiveness, asking them to reconsider their decision for the sake of his young family.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
